2003 Dodge Sprinter 3500 still smokes on hard acceleration

Burgieman

Burgieman

Member
Hello all,

I’ve been trying to wrangle the sooty behind of my van for the past few months. I seem to leave a cloud of fumes behind me as I accelerate from a light and it continues if I go up hills or accelerate harder than a soft foot.

As I sit at Foss Motors MA waiting to hear what their sprinter “specialist” is going to tell me I decided to post here also. I’m not convinced my bill will cover a solid diagnosis.

Here’s what I have recently replaced in order:

- New air filter, no change, was filthy
- New EGR, valve no emissions change, very slight pep increase
- New MAF sensor, no change
- New transmission conductor plate and sensor. Flushed and drained torque converter and pan.
- New Mobil 1 oil change
- New intercooler hose to EGR.
- New catalytic converter, exhaust and front exhaust pipe
- New Turbocharger

Sometimes is does cut out randomly while driving but will restart if I let off on the gas pedal quickly. But maybe on e or twice a week.

Any additional ideas would be of great, I mean immense help.


Thanks!:rad:
 
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M

Midwestdrifter

Engineer In Residence
A full list of the diagnostic codes and subcodes please!

Cutting out could be a number of things. Harness damage, funky Fuse block one, bad engine ground strap, failing injectors.

Have the injectors been tested with the leak off test? Its fairly quick to perform, and useful to identify injector wear. Its not definitive though.

Smoke under load could be a bad MAF signal. Could be a bad MAP or IAT sensor signal. It could also be a failing injector which is overfueling. Caution, overfueling injectors can wreck an engine. The dealer should perform a smooth running test, and check the injectors trim/adjustment values. If one cylinder is out of range, that injector is suspect.
 
Burgieman

Burgieman

Member
Thanks all for the input. After a one hour troubleshoot the tech came back with a boat load of codes he cleared but also said there is an “active Short to voltage in the Boost Pressure Solenoid” and that I would need to replace that before continuing. (Under airbox) When I got home I looked for the solenoid and was able to trace a hissing gurgling noise I have had for months but could never locate to the solenoid also. I will pull and replace to see if anything changes and report back.

I have not performed the injector test but had bought the tubing. My next test soon.
 
Burgieman

Burgieman

Member
Codes he cleared were: (handwritten so some numbers might be wrong)

Brake switch 0703-128 (2 might be wrong )
CMP/ CKP - 1354-602
Boost pressure sensor - 0105-128
EGR solenoid circuit - 1403-008
Vehicle speed sensor - 0500-001
Glow plug module - 1482-001
Accelerate pedal pos sensor - - 1234-128
Fuel pressure solenoid - 1190-008
 
Burgieman

Burgieman

Member
Occasionally when it would cut out a check engine and wheel sensor light and abs would all stay lit until restarting. Hasn’t happened in the past few months.
 
M

Midwestdrifter

Engineer In Residence
If the turbo control solenoid is bad you will get little or no boost. Perfect recipe for black smoke. Get that replaced.

Buy a good scanner, there are several options in the scanner subforum, several around or less than 100$. Worth every penny!

Monitor your boost as you drive, and compare with the expected values.
 
M

Midwestdrifter

Engineer In Residence
Going through your codes below.



P0703 128 CAN Brake signal Plausibility fault 2 - Not sure what this one can be caused by.

1354-602 is not a valid subcode. All 1354 codes indicate a possible cam or crank sensor failure (or wiring issue)

P0105 128 Boost pressure sensor (B 112) The sensor or signal value is implausible. This indicates a failed sensor, or wiring harness. Check the sensors reading with the key on and the engine off, and compare to the ambient pressure sensor. They should be within 50 millibar.

P1403 004 Exhaust gas recirculation valve Cable has a short circuit to voltage(+) or short circuit to ground(-). Fuse A12f16 is faulty. This indicates a wiring harnes fault.

0500-001 is not a valid code. 0500-4 is an implausible wheel speed sensor signal. Not related to your problem, probably.

1482 -glow plug issue or module problem, not related to your smoke

P1234 128 Pedal value sensor (B96) potentiometer 2 - Plausibility of potentiometer 1 value and potentiometer 2 value. Could be a wornt out pedal sensor, less likely could also be a harness issue. A pedal fault can cause the engine to return to idle.

P1190 004 Rail pressure control valve (Y92) Cable has a short circuit to voltage{+) or short circuit to ground(-). harness fault.

Based on these codes you have harness damage in the engine bay. Check the entire maine engine harness, especially where it runs over the fuel filter. Remove zip ties, and pull the covering back if necessary.
 
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Burgieman

Burgieman

Member
Thanks for all the advice. I did watch Zimaletas YouTube video on the harness problem. Looks like a pita but it was one of my concerns. I’ll shop for the sensors mentioned and swap them out one at a time to see which if any make a difference.
 
M

Midwestdrifter

Engineer In Residence
Don't start shotgunning parts before you check the harness. There is not code for the boost pressure solenoid listed. It can still be bad, just test it according to the thread Cheyenne posted above.

You can ohm out the sensors following the service documentation at http://diysprinter.co.uk/reference/.
 
Burgieman

Burgieman

Member
Copy that. The hissing gurgling sounds from solenoid under the airbox could be vacuum lines I suppose but won’t know until I get In there. I’m in Maine so it’s a tad chilly at the moment but I might get a work window soon.

Do some of those sensors etc wiring run across the rail and are prone to wear like the fuel injector wires?

This was the video I had seen regarding shorts on the harness.

https://youtu.be/x-Zd3oKr2r0
 
Burgieman

Burgieman

Member
Ok lots to check on. Hissing solenoid and wiring harness. I’ll report back as I go if there are any breakthroughs. Thanks again.
 
Burgieman

Burgieman

Member
Ok Update,

I did buy a new booster solenoid. The 2005 Jeep Patriot diesel one is the same part as the Mercedes but atn1/3rd the price.

Install went very quickly. Removed front grill and left headlight swapped part and closed all up.

The drive was interesting. At first (at 20degrees out). Took it easy then booom! I pulled over and the intercooler hose had popped out of the EGR valve. Scared the hell out of me. But prior and after reconnected and double checked the fit Beas back in the road.

The drive was awesome. No over shifting and loss of power at 35 mph, no smoke (or at least visible), acceleration seems strong through all speeds. Seriously happy here.

On another note. It did have a hard time starting and I did get one cutout of all power as sometimes happens. I’m guessing second issue will be a harness short? Should I assume it would be to an injector?
 
B

billintomahawk

Guest
Burgieman,
How did this come out for you?

Assume you have the 612 engine?

bill in tomahawk
 
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